Constantly increasing efforts to utilize solar energy in efficient and practical ways has created a demand for better energy collectors and associated absorber and transfer means. The general objective of the invention is to satisfy this need to the greatest extent possible by provision of a solar energy collector and transfer apparatus of increased efficiency and practical and comparatively economical construction. More particularly, the invention is embodied in a unitized collector and transfer apparatus which can be supported by a multi-axis orientation device or can, in some cases, form part of a static structure, such as a roof. The apparatus essentially consists of a panel array of concentrators intervened by energy absorber and transfer units with the concentrators arranged in tandem pairs so as to extend on opposite sides of a plane in which said absorber and transfer units are located. A back reflector means is positioned in spaced relation to the panel array on the side thereof facing away from the sun.
The prior art contains numerous proposals for solar collectors and collector-transfer devices and some examples of the patented prior art are contained in the following U.S. Pat. Nos.:
1,074,219 1,814,897 2,759,106 2,872,915 2,969,788 3,817,605 3,868,823 3,903,699 3,905,352 3,923,381 3,957,030 3,960,136 3,964,464 4,007,729.
Various features and advantages of the invention over the prior art, in addition to those already enumerated, will be apparent during the course of the following description.